JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Some of the country’s freshest voice, culinary, acting and television talent will be on hand to help honor and celebrate the winners of the first-annual Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Carry Forward Awards. The special guests will serve as event hosts, provide musical entertainment, and create an inspired menu for the award and fundraising event to be held on Sunday evening, October 21, 2012 at the City National Grove in Anaheim, California.

The special guest line-up includes:

Samantha Harris of Dancing with the Stars and more recently Stars Earn Stripes will serve as co-host.

Dean Cain who is best known for his starring role as Superman/Clark Kent on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and more recently Stars Earn Stripes will serve as co-host.

Chris Mann, a finalist on the hit NBC television series The Voice, will sing the national anthem. His voice can also be heard on numerous recordings, live performances and major motion pictures.

Lorena Garcia of NBC’s America’s Next Great Restaurant, chef restaurateur and cookbook author will create and supervise development of the evening’s menu.

The Carry Forward Awards honor individuals who have gone above and beyond to further Wounded Warrior Project’s mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. The winners were selected based on a number of criteria, including the magnitude of their efforts, how many people were impacted, leadership qualities displayed in accomplishing their goals, the number of areas in which their efforts assisted Wounded Warriors and a public vote. Their stories can be found at: Carry Forward Awards Winner's Stories.

Some sponsorship opportunities and tickets are still available for the fundraising event. Additional event information can also be found at the Carry Forward Awards website. Funds raised at the event will fuel WWP’s 18 programs and build awareness of the needs of injured service members.

Wounded Warrior Project

The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.